Flat-type blowers or fans (“flat blowers”) commonly are utilized to cool electronic equipment. One exemplary flat blower is the DIPLOMAT™ blower, available from Comair Rotron, Inc. of San Diego, Calif. Flat blowers commonly have a relatively low profile (i.e., cross-sectional dimension) to minimize the volume that is required to mount such type of blower within electronic equipment. The above noted DIPLOMAT™ blower, for example, has a profile of about 2.5 inches.
Although relatively thin, there is a continuing need to further reduce the profile of flat blowers. For example, reducing the thickness by as little as 0.25 inches is considered a significant profile reduction. The minimum thickness of a flat blower is limited, however, by the size of the motor that rotates the blower impeller. For example, the above noted DIPLOMAT™ blower includes a motor with a rotor coupled to an impeller. In addition to poles, bearings, motor windings, and other known motor elements, the motor also includes the motor electronics (e.g., the motor control and power regulation circuitry) within a motor housing that itself is contained within a blower housing. The motor electronics within the motor housing necessarily increases the size of the stator stack (i.e., poles, coils, and circuitry), consequently increasing the minimum thickness of the blower.
In addition to having a relatively low profile, it also is desirable for a flat blower to be mountable in different configurations within the chassis of electronic equipment. The different configurations enable the blower exhaust port to direct outward air flow in a desired direction, such as away from the interior of the electronic equipment being cooled. Accordingly, the electronics in a flat blower commonly are connectible to the electronic equipment (e.g., to derive power or receive controlling data signals from the electronics) by means of one or more wires extending from the blower. Use of wires is inconvenient, however, since the wires must be manually connected to the electronics of the equipment within the equipment chassis.